What is your body trying to tell you...
and why should you care?
Have you spent years in therapy, only to rehash the same stories over and over? Do you have aches and pains, fatigue or digestive issues for which doctors can find no explanation? Many of us try to deal with our pains and traumas without recognizing that our bodies can be an invaluable resource for healing. Some of us even see our bodies as the enemy. Have you ever said that you have a "bad back," or that your "knees are shot," or expressed contempt for your hips, thighs, belly? We live in a culture where many of us dislike our bodies and strive endlessly toward an impossible ideal. What might happen if, instead, you befriended your body? How might it change your mind...and your heart?
Rubenfeld Synergy Method is a holistic healing technique that begins with giving attention to the body. When you begin to listen to the messages that your body has for you, you can bring awareness, understanding, relief, and transformation to your life.
Your Body is Your Only Home
Your body holds the key to everything that has ever happened to you. All of your stories, experiences, joys and sorrows, traumas and triumphs are held within your cells. The gentle, listening touch of a Synergist can help bring these stories forward, and help you move toward healing in a way that simple talk doesn't.
So what, you might be thinking. What if I don't want to pay attention to my body's stories? What if more awareness in my body just means I hurt more? How will listening to my body help me?
In this newsletter, we will share stories of how this listening has helped others, and how befriending your body can help you. In future issues, we'll also alert you about upcoming events, opportunities to be part of this community, and exercises to aid you in your personal healing journey.
Karen's Story: Safe to be Seen
Karen, a writer and a tall woman with a large frame, came to Synergy with a recurring injury. Her shoulders were constantly tight, and every six months or so, her back and neck would go into spasm to the point where raising her arm above the shoulder was agonizing. A few visits to a chiropractor and subsequent massage and rest would tend to calm it down, but sooner or later and without warning, the spasm and the pain would return. It usually seemed to be triggered by an increase in the difficulty of exercise, and she was becoming frustrated that she couldn't seem to improve in the ways she wanted to without hurting herself. At the same time, Karen was concerned about her career, and feeling frustrated that she hadn't published a book yet. As Karen talked about all of these things, the Synergist, named Sarah, gently cradled Karen's shoulder.
Sarah urged Karen to tune into her shoulders as she talked about this. Karen noticed that she was pulling her shoulders in to her spine. "I'm thinking about myself in high school," she said, "when I was all pulled in to protect myself from bullying. I thought I could make myself invisible."
As she thought this and voiced it, her shoulders pulled in even more tightly to her spine. Sarah felt this and responded. "What might happen," Sarah asked gently, "if you published a book?"
In the ensuing pause, tears began to run down Karen's cheeks. "I might be seen," she whispered. "And being seen isn't safe."
As Karen let the emotion of this realization move through her, her shoulders began to relax and expand. She was able to realize that by pulling herself in, she was keeping herself safe, but she couldn't become bigger, couldn't become what she wanted to be. What had been an essential protective mechanism had to be acknowledged, but she realized that it was no longer needed. Karen didn't need to be invisible anymore to be safe: it was time for her to come out and be seen.
And the back spasm didn't recur after that.
Listening to the Body, Transforming your Life
For Karen, what seemed like a simple physical injury was actually the result of a web of causes: emotional, physical, historical. Only by approaching her body and her story with compassion could she recognize the physical habits that were causing her pain.
What will the value be for you?
Warmly,
The Rubenfeld Synergy Community
"Helping you Befriend your Body and Transform your Life"
What do you think????
